What is an air freight invoice?

An air freight invoice is the bill a forwarder sends a client for an air shipment. It is built on the air waybill (AWB) and billed by chargeable weight, with the air carriage, surcharges, handling, and the forwarder's fee as separate line items.

Air freight is billed on chargeable weight, the greater of the actual gross weight and the volumetric weight (length x width x height in cm divided by 6000), so a light but bulky shipment still pays for the space it takes. A forwarder's air invoice keeps the service fee separate from the pass-through costs, and it is distinct from a commercial invoice, which states the value of the goods for customs.

What an air freight invoice must include

• Header: forwarder name and IATA agent code, unique invoice number, date, and payment terms.

• Parties: shipper, consignee, and the bill-to party with an accounts-payable contact.

• Reference numbers: the Master AWB and House AWB numbers, and the job or file number.

• Flight and routing: departure date, flight number, and the origin and destination airports, plus Incoterms.

• Cargo: number of pieces, gross weight, volumetric weight, and the chargeable weight the air rate applies to.

• Charges: air freight linehaul, fuel surcharge (MYC), security surcharge (SSC), origin and destination handling, and customs or documentation fees.

• Service vs pass-through: your forwarding fee shown apart from the disbursements you advance.

• Totals and authorization: services subtotal, disbursements subtotal, tax where applicable, total due, remittance instructions, and a signature.

How to create an air freight invoice, step by step

1. Add the invoice details: Give it a unique number and issue date, set the due date and terms (for example Net 30), the currency, and the Incoterm.

2. Enter your forwarder details: Add your company, tax ID, and IATA agent code. This is the "from" on the invoice.

3. Add the bill-to client: Enter the party you are billing and their accounts-payable contact and account reference.

4. Fill in the air shipment: Add the job number, MAWB and HAWB, flight number, departure and arrival airports, departure date, pieces, gross, volumetric, and chargeable weight.

5. Add charges and tag each: Enter air linehaul, fuel (MYC) and security (SSC) surcharges, handling, customs, and your fee, marking each line Service or Pass-through.

6. Set tax, deposit, and payment: Add a tax rate if services are taxable (it applies to services only), subtract any deposit, and add your remit-to or ACH instructions.

7. Check the live preview: Confirm the totals: services subtotal, disbursements subtotal, and total due. Edit any line and the figures update instantly.

How to download your air freight invoice

1. Choose a format in the toolbar: Click Download PDF, Word, or Excel. PDF is best to send to a client's AP team, Word for your letterhead, Excel for the surcharge math.

2. Enter your email once: The first download asks for your email to unlock all formats. After that, every download on this device is instant.

3. Open in Google Docs or Google Sheets: Prefer Google? Download the Word file and open it in Google Docs, or the Excel file and open it in Google Sheets from your Drive.

4. Print or grab a blank template: Use Print to save as PDF, or download a blank PDF, Word, or Excel air invoice to fill in later.

5. Save a draft to reuse: Click Save draft to keep the invoice in your browser, then load it next time and change only what differs.

Air freight invoice vs other documents

• Ocean freight invoice: The sea equivalent, billed on a container and CBM instead of an AWB and chargeable weight. See the ocean freight invoice generator.

• Commercial invoice: States the value of the goods for customs, not a bill for services. Use the commercial invoice generator.

• Air waybill (AWB): The carrier's transport contract and receipt, not an invoice. Learn more on electronic air waybill (eAWB).

• Multi-modal freight invoice: For door-to-door moves across modes, use the freight forwarder invoice generator.